Recap: BET Awards 2015 -- The Tributes, Reunions and Surprises!

The 2015 BET Awards opened with a stirring performance by Kendrick Lamar whose rhymes reflected the state of Blacks in the United States. The audience (fellow artists, actors, reality stars and the like) were indeed moved and gave him a great reception. 

Hosts Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross greeted the audience with their awkward yet funny version of Estelle's "Conquerer" made famous from Empire.  Coming back from commercial we peeped an awkward glimpse of Rihanna sitting it the audience with a roll of duct tape in her lap, still no clue as to why! A performance by Janelle Monae hyped the crowd with her new single "Yoga", showcasing her dancing and great performance skills. Included in the performance was newcomer Jedenna with his first major award show performance of "Classic Man".

Nicki Minaj won for the consecutive time for Best Female Rapper, bribing her mom on stage, who by the way was just as stunning as she shouted out all the nominees with personal highlight given to Dej Loaf, reiterating she would be joining her on the Pinkprint tour.

BET series "The Game" made a big announcement that Derwin and Melanie, played by Pooch Hall and Tia Mowry would be officially coming back for the series finale on August 5, 2015, much to the excitement of fans.

Chris Brown and Tyga also performed a medley of current hits. I was a bit thrown off by Chris' overdubbing and lip syncing which for me throws off the overall package of the performance. Either sing or lip synch and be done with it. Of course the dancing was on point and all the female audience members were happy.  Though introduced first, Tyga was really nothing more than a bonfire hype man. Another awkward moment was the inclusion of Omarion but no Jhene Aiko for "Post to Be". Even weirder the cameraman panning to Rihanna singing along to Jhene's voice in the audience.

A special highlight was the Music Matters feature of new artist Avery Wilson, popular on Vine and other social media platforms for his covers and he's also a former American Idol contestant by he didn't advance far in the competition. He's now being mentored by music legend Clive Davis.

The running gag with Rihanna continued as she hilariously bound and gagged Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he sat next to transgenders B. Scott and Laverne Cox. The Weekend performed... And that's all I have to mention. Total snooze fest -- even the special guest feature of Alicia Keys did nothing for me. Sadly the highly awarded singer did not rise to the occasion and her vocal prowess needs coaching.

I was excited for the 20 year Bad Boy Entertainment anniversary performance. Daddy definitely still has it! He stays in his lane and just does classic Puff. Though we saw features from Mase, 112, the Lox, French Montana, Lil Kim and Pharreal the clear star and stand out performer is STILL Diddy, who doesn't miss a step, but maybe a line here and there which was hilariously shades by Brandy mouthing "sing yo line Puff!" from the audience.

Speaking of dancing newcomer Silento had an impromptu performance of his popular song "Watch Me" with hosts Anthony and Tracee performing with their TV children from the show Blackish.

The true highlight of the show was the Smokey Robinson tribute. With a stirring outage of his history relayed by Berry Gordy, Aretha Franklin, Janelle Monae and John Legend. Performances included newcomer Tori Kelly soulful performance of Whose Loving You", Robin Thicke's vocalist mirroring of "Oooh Baby Baby" oh so smoothly and Neyo's modern take on "Tears of a Clown".  As far as the 75 year old legend, who has been in the industry for over 60 years still looks springy and a mere 50 years old. He recanted his graciousness for his many blessing and triumphs so humbly and beautifully in his acceptance speech/prayer. The key moment was his admonition to all entertainers to be grateful for their accomplishments and to stop being haughty and full of themselves, which garnered a standing ovation. The best part though had to be the legend himself crooning his hits "Tracks of My Tears", "Crusin" & "My Girl" just as clearly and full as the original recordings.

On with the show Meek Mill lit up the stage with Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown for their new single "All Eyes on You". The musical stars of Empire -- Yazz, Jussie Smollet and Soraya had a great medley of their soundtrack hits with a cameo from Juicy J. 

As far as this years tributes -- one of the sheer highlights for me was Anthony Hamilton's rendition of "The Thrill is Gone" in tribute to the late B. B. King. This years Humanitarian award went to Tom Joyner for he and his foundations philanthropic work to raise money and awareness for HBCU's and its students. The Janet tribute was... cute. I understand Janet is a dance legend but no attempts at singing her songs was pointless to me. Tinashe has come along way, she did her best. Jason Derulo definitely has the skills and Ciara did her best Janet interpretation down to the Jackson leg bounce.

I was impressed to see long time rivals K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton sing out their current singles "Hard to Do" & "If I Don't Have You" and publicly apologize and forgive each other. Special highlight was them coming together to sing with the legendary Patti LaBelle on "If Only You Knew" and later embraced and walked off stage together smiling and chatting.  I'm so proud!

We finally found out what the Rihanna teases were for as she treated us to a trailer for her music video BBHMM (Bitch Betta Have My Money) were she apparently kidnaps someone as the video faded away.

We also saw a brief performance by Best New Artist nominee Fetty Wap in the final stretch of the show. The show ended rather anticlimactically with a brief commercial interlude a 45 second goodbye by Anthony and Tracee.  All in all, the 4 hour award show had its ups and downs, but it was definitely entertaining!

(Photo Source: www.BET.com)

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Cinematic Review: Lifetime's "Whitney" Movie...

"...it's not right, but it's OKAY!" Those were the imperious words sung by "The Voice" Whitney Houston. The term "mixed emotions" is often used to convey the thoughts I have in mind, but a more accurate statement would describe them as "conflicting". On paper the Lifetime movie "Whitney" was a good story, it answered and revealed some elements of Whitney's infamous life but it mainly focused on her relationship with husband Bobby Brown.  But did it serve what we as an audience was looking for? Simply, the answer is... No.  The movie should have been called "I Will Always Love You: The Whitney & Bobby Love Story" rather than being billed as a true biopic.

The movie spanned approximately 5 years of her life right around the height of her career during "The Bodyguard" era, starting from when she met Bobby at the Soul Train Awards till shortly after the mega tour to promote the music for her first leading role as Rachel Marin along with Kevin Costner in the classic "The Bodyguard". What the movie was able to accomplish was depicting the alleged drug use and attempting to answer rumors of who truly was the addict in the relationship - *spoiler alert* it was alleged that it was Whitney who introduced cocaine onto Bobby, though other interviews, including ones from her own brother already have proven she started on drugs in her early years before she was even famous or meeting Brown which was later in her life.

However what the movie failed to do was give us Whitney herself. She was known for being regal, a people's princess and being very articulate in the public eye, but Whitney was a really a homegirl from New Jersey whose behind the scenes persona was more laid back and rowdy.  We didn't get a chance to see that versatility in Yaya Dacosta's portrayal, more of a hodge podge of dramatics and inexperienced acting. We can applaud the production for their physical casting, the likenesses of Whitney, Clive Davis and Cissy Houston were uncanny but the quality of acting from many of the key players just was not there. The breakout star was indeed Arlen Escarpeta with his portrayal of Bobby Brown who was able to capture both his bad boy persona and boyish vulnerability, in addition to his raunchy on stage presence. But the real star was Deborah Cox's singing voice dubbing for Whitney throughout the movie.  Deborah is a rare talent and its a shame that her music career hasn't surpassed far beyond what she's already accomplished.  She soared through every ballad like a warm knife through chilled butter. Smooth and silky, not trying but easily exceeding as if she herself was meat to sing the reknowed songs. No one can truly emulate Whitney in due justice but she did near best renditions of all the songs -- I really wish they released them for download.

The movie was neither a hit nor a miss, it's like one of those meals you eat, it's pleasant but doesn't nessecarily satisfy your hunger. I felt like this Lifetime movie was a prelude to the REAL film, serving as an introduction to the real biography, preparing us in a sense for something grander to come. I applaud the effort of director Angela Bassett, she succeeded in attempting to execute the dream to the best of her ability but not quite the full vision. We indeed will always love Whitney, nothing will ever be good enough to capture all that she meant to people worldwide.  She wasn't just a singer or an actress or her many other titles, but she was indeed a national treasure.  We may be quick to criticize bodies of work that are supposed to be done in her honor, but for our queen of the night, she deserved the best. In life and in tragedy, we shall indeed love her better after death.

[Photo Source: http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/whitney (Used without permission but for editorial purposes only.) If you would like to view Lifetime's "Whitney" movie, please visit their official website for the online presentation and reairing schedule on the network.]

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The Awkward Moment When... Tamar Braxton-Herbert Gets You Together on Facebook!

Known for her outspoken nature, singer, reality TV star and talk show host, Tamar Braxton-Herbert leaves no issue untouched -- or shall we say uncommented or replied to. Today she promoted a clip from the upcoming season of WEtv's #1 show - "Braxton Family Values" with the caption "#dontdoit" in reference to those who try to "come for" her super fans known as the Tamartians.  And of course, I had to chime in to make the bluntly real statement that Tamar's fans are in fact rather rude just like the favorite star.

Well Tamar was not be undone and unheard.  She quickly retorted with her signature line "#liesyoutell" and a "lol".  It's all in good fun and it seem as if she got the joke.  I was prudent enough to mention I do have love for her, so, with a slight hint of shade - remember we're in "shade anonymous". As a Tamar supporter, this wasn't a trolling comment and it seems her fans recognized the subtle truth in their comedic replies as well.  Well there you have it folks, the awkward moment when your girl and my new homegirl, and I can say that because she replied to ME lol, get you on together.  Point blank period.  And be sure to check out the latest Braxton family drama and laughter coming soon with the premiere of "Braxton Family Values" on WEtv August 14th!  And if you haven't done so already, be sure to pick up your legal copy of "Love and War" and retailers in stores now and online!  I bought the hard copy of the CD so I could get my life to all the pics and the liner notes -- I'm so old school with it!

[Photo Source: Facebook screen capture, used for informational purposes only, no copyright infringement intended.]

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Beyonce & Jay-Z: On The Run tour - Was Dallas NOT checking for the Carters?

Despite having the #1 concert tour of the year, it appears Beyonce and Jay-Z rang into a few snags during the Dallas leg of their hit "On the Run" tour. My insider source had a lot to say about the duo and the fans response shows they clearly were not happy with what they paid for!  The night begun with the tour starting over an hour late, after 9:00 PM and disgruntled fans were already beginning to leave by 10:15!  That is a shocker, as you may know, many have had to go to extraordinary measures to pay for tickets that reached into multiple hundreds up to over $1000 for tickets.  Some of them have forgone paying certain bills to be able to afford the astronomically high ticket prices for the concert, so they clearly were upset to just up and leave in protest. This I do know for myself, I checked ticket prices and even the "nosebleed seats" were still going for roughly $150.  I did find seats that were literally on the roof, sitting on the highest railing of the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home to the Dallas Cowboys and they were still $65!  That's just ridiculous!  We all love Beyonce, we enjoy Jay-Z but no man or woman is worth all of that hype!

My insider, who I must also mention is also a Beyonce fan, something we have in common, they revealed that the duo made the decision to not pay for the additional fee to have their performances shown on the stadiums Jumbo-tron which caused an uproar with fans.  According to the insider, stadium management told employees to tell customers that this was a "production decision".  As revealed by the insider the Jumbo-tron is not included in the stadium rental and is a separate maintenance cost and was not chosen by the executive management of the Carters.   It was commented the reason behind this may have been so that fans could not see up close the amount of lynching that was done in that day's performance.  The stadium was also rather empty selling less than 45,000 tickets (less than even less popular acts like the Jonas Brothers) even though the stadium actually has 80,000 seats and can hold up to 105,000 people including standing room for General Admission.  Imagine that -- literally HALF the stadium was empty!  Well, there you have it!  Dallas clearly was not checking for Beyonce or Jay-Z this week, maybe the next leg of the tour will have better ticket sales and reports from fans and concert promoters!  We still love the Carters but somethings gotta give!

[Photo Source: www.Beyonce.com - Photo used without permission and for informational purposes only, no copyright infringement intended.  If you are the copyright holder, please contact the Administer of this blog for immediate removal.]

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Music Review: Traci Braxton - "Last Call". The "BFV" and "Marriage Boot Camp" star is definitely "breaking out"...

Hey ya'll! I am happy to be one of the first to review WEtv reality star Traci Braxton's new single "Last Call".  If you are a fan of "Braxton Family Values" then this not exactly new to you.  On the show, it chronicled Traci's struggle to record her music, finding the approval of her sisters (in particular superstar big sister Toni Braxton) and honing in on finding her voice.  Well, I do believe she has succeeded!  In the words of her little sister and breakout music star Tamar Braxton -- "She won"!

It seems that the Braxton sisters have been fighting the industry curse of being the younger siblings of a legend for over two decades!  With a few notable but unsuccessful attempts, the sisters have tried their mightiness, though being super talented and unfortunate have failed until recently with new found success and exposure through their hit reality show.  Traci has been the most vocal in breaking out of the box of being known as "Toni Braxton's little sister" and has voiced her desire to sing.  Though her family may not have believed she would stick with it, put in the work and give it valiant effort, she has proved all naysayers wrong.

"Last Call" is a surprisingly a very sensual classic R&B record, with an 80's, early 90's throwback vibe while still being very contemporary in today's demographic of Pop and crossover Hip-Hop\R&B that seems to reign the charts.  Traci is heard pouring out to her lover that it is her last call to keep asking for what she desires in their relationship and she does so with vocal ease.  Her sound is surprising not as heavily Braxton influenced as expected.  We all know the sisters sound amazing together in their 5-part harmony, but that familiar Braxton sound is not overly present -- she isn't trying to sound like famous sisters Toni or Tamar, but allowing her own inner diva to shine.  The target audience of this song definitely seems suited for an over 25 crowd; it has a nice Adult Contemporary flair without being somber, it's fresh enough to still be played on Top 40 radio stations and your favorite Quiet Storm station.

While there was many things I loved from this song, there is only point of criticism that I have to offer -- the overt use of auto-tune throughout the song.  As a fan of "Braxton Family Values" we all know Traci can in fact really sing, she has a very strong contralto voice that has the ability to soar and stand out even in group harmonies. The musical style of the song "Last Call" purposely uses reverb to match the vocals to the electronic R&B beat, it makes sense, it sounds great but from a marketing perspective I think that it could hurt Traci's exposure, especially with this being her first single.  To an untrained ear, the use of reverb, which is used primarily throughout the verses and chorus, would allude to much needed vocal correction like many singers of today who are more breathy and nasally than actually vocalists, but Traci doesn't need auto-tune to sound great.  Her natural voice does however shine throughout her adlibs, pre-chorus' and the songs bridge which seems to be less studio enhanced and allows the listener to truly hear her vocal ability without distortion.

I grade this song with a B- for it's strong debut, pleasant vocals and overall listenability. Be sure to download your copy today from legal music retailers today!  I downloaded my copy from Itunes for a well worth it $1.29.  I am definitely looking forward to hear more from Traci in the near future.  Until then be sure to catch her on the current season of WEtv's "Marriage Boot Camp" and the new season of BFV coming in August!

Photo Source: iTunes.  No copyright infringement intended, used for informational purposes only.

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RHOA Star Porsha Williams Strikes Again...

UPDATE - @Porsha4Real responds to @JustusTakesOn
Well at least we know Porsha has a sense of humor and can take a light-hearted jab!





ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Atlanta's home-girl Porsha Williams formerly Porsha Stewart of The Real Housewives Atlanta has struck again! Still reeling from the infamous "underground railroad" debacle, she's making headlines again due to a recent Instagram post.  I'm starting to believe she's doing this on purpose now, is this her gimmick? She's just your typical beautiful bimbo but she means no harm! She's just as sweet as she can be, but this girl said STUARTIST instead of STEWARDESS!  Rickey Smiley please come get yo girl! I can't deal.

[Photo Source:  @Porsha4Real (Instagram) & @JustusTakesOn (Instagram) No copyright infringement intended, used for reference\informational purposes.]

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Top 4 Things Justus is NOT Here for in 2014... so far, that is!

4. "Made up Words" -- I dunno who gave people the creative literary license but it seems like 2014 is full of popular sayings and made up words. Examples -- ratchet, THOT, the Nae Nae, yeet, baddies, etc. So can someone please explain to me why has it become so popular and accepted to be ghetto -- I thought that's what you rise FROM?  Maya Angelou did not die in vain for this. *deep sigh*

3. "Blue Ivy's Hair" -- I don't know what's worse the fact that I agree that Blue Ivy needs some Blue Duchess hair grease and a stiff brush, the fact there was actual online petition for Beyoncé (or Blue's personal hairdresser) to finally comb her knotted roots OR the fact that the petition actually worked and little Miss Carter has been rocking tamer natural hairdos ever since. And they said celebrities don't read the blogs! Mmhmm...

2. "Deeming this Generation as Icons or Legends" -- it used to be so that a legend was someone who had a lengthy maybe 25 plus career with undeniable impact and a trail of success. Now it seems popularity without proper credentials is deeming everyone legendary or iconic. Case in point, the American Music Awards naming Rihanna an icon, people suggesting that new generation stars like Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake are suitable replacements for Michael Jackson's legacy and let's not even get me started on Kim Kardashian.  I have love for Chris, I think he is an amazing dancer and performer and has a great studio voice, but lip-syncing or shall we say really BAD (catch the Michael reference?) lip-syncing really shows he is not on legendary status -- case in point his two 2014 BET Awards performances, just really mediocre at best vocally.

1. "Ridiculous Reality Shows & their So-called Stars" -- now I love reality about as much as the next reasonable viewer but the plethora of needless reality shows is reason enough why I bypass certain cable stations. There's only so many spin offs, wedding specials and one night only returns (Kate PLUS Eight) we can handle. It's to the point I feel people are just getting married, divorced and remarried just for the sake of having a show. Even worse the borage of unnecessary characters errr "real people, celebrities". Top mention includes former Destiny's Child singer Latavia Roberson. I think Latavia may have a compelling story to tell about her overcoming addiction, her fall from popularity, her struggle to maintain focus in an industry who may not be entirely checking for her, but she's not wanting to talk about that on the new season of R&B Divas Atlanta. Nor does she want to sing in front of her fellow divas! I can understand apprehension, stage fright and self doubt but she DID realize she was signing up for a show about women who sing -- right? Her constant refusal despite loving and even a lot of pushy encouragement from her fellow divas was such a waste of time and vetted energy. Like an angry Tyra Banks, Latavia "we were all routing for you"! Such a bore and a let down.

[Photo Source: @JustusTakesOn -- Copyright 2014]

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